Sergei K dealt to Nashville

The Canadiens have traded Sergei Kostitsyn to the Nashville Predators for forward Dustin Boyd, goaltender Dan Ellis and future considerations. The deal also includes future considerations for the Predators.

Ellis, who turned 30 last week, played in 31 games last season, posting a 15-13-1 record. His GAA was 2.69, with a save percentage of 90.9. His career numbers are 2.64 and 91.2.

Ellis’s cap hit was $1.8 million last season, and Ellis can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Via Twitter, Ellis had this to say: “Very excited about the trade! Its an honor to be part of a team with such great tradition and passion! Hope we can figure something out!”

Boyd, a 6-foot centre who will be 24 next month, split last season between the Predators and Calgary Flames. He collected 11 goals, including three game-winners, and 13 assists in 78 games. He was plus-6 while averaging 12:13 ToI. Boyd, whose cap hit was $700,000, is an RFA who did not get a qualifying offer, which makes him a UFA is he’s not signed by Thursday.

Kostitsyn quickly fell out of favour with head coach Jacques Martin last season and split the season between Montreal and the Hamilton Bulldogs. He had seven goals and 11 assists in 47 games with the Canadiens.

As Arpon
Basu points out, the Canadiens have found a back-up and mentor for
Carey Price – if Ellis signs – and a fourth-line centre who’s younger,
cheaper, tougher and faster than Glen Metropolit.

And the team has
purged itself of the malignancy that is SK74 – safely dispatched to
the Western Conference, just in case he ever turns into the player he
thinks he is. Over/under on visits to the Grand Ole Opry before he’s barred: 2.

The deal ends popular speculation that the Canadiens would happily trade Sergei Kostitsyn for a dog – and shoot the dog.

Subtle bonus if something works out with Ellis: a non-francophone backup – as opposed to, say, Martin Biron – means the usual suspects won’t be whining for a homeboy Number One every time Price lets in a bad goal.

“A slick,
industrious playmaker with good poise and vision … agile skater,
generates deceptive quickness from bentover stride, though could use a
stronger top gear … makes sharp cuts/spins with the puck and possesses
a nice wide stickhandling range … not overly tall yet can still
separate bigger opponents from the puck thanks to solid balance and
lower-body strength …getting stronger on the puck and more effective
in traffic will allow him to better exploit a good shot and sharp
finishing touch … has steadily improved his defensive reads and
positioning …”

And there’s ‘future considerations’ for both sides as part of the deal. It may be that if Habs sign them both the deal is sweetened in Nahville’s favour and if we dont it is sweetened in Hab’s favour. Just looking at the deal the way it was reported… and not knowing what else has transpired… this is an astute deal by Gauthier.

They get exclusive rights to deal with these guys until Thursday. But having not TALKED to them yet, who knows if these guys are even interested in being here. Ellis because he’s UFA has no obligation whatsoever to sign in Mtl, whereas Boyd can be extended an offer if PG wants to and be bound by it (within the RFA rules) and is pretty much ‘if we want him we got him’.

I have to say, considering how hard Sergei has tried to completely ruin his trade value over the last calender year, this is a great trade. We may not sign ellis, but Boyd puts up similar numbers to Sergei anyway. I didn’t think we’d get anything more than a 4th rounder.

Wonder if ‘Future Considerations’ could include any cheerleaders in the deal? Why doesn’t Montreal have cheerleaders? Ours would be the hottest. What do we have? A big orange THING. Not quite the same. I bet more free agents would want to play here if they went up St. Laurent BLVD and turned some of the waitresses into Cheerleaders.

Dan Ellis is a UFA so we only get his rights. He’s 30 years old and is a 1A type goalie. He had a cap hit of 1.75M last year. That’s a figure that we really can’t afford for a 2nd stringer. Ellis is probably going to have to take a lot less. He would be slightly more than a back-up as he would add some insurance just in case Price gets hurt.

Boyd has now been traded twice in less than four months. He is a RFA who made $650000 last year. He’s 24 and came to Nashville from Calgary in return for a 4th rounder. Plays centre and wing and will probably take Metro’s spot. Hence, the Habs get younger. Boyd could still develop and make this deal look good. For now, he’s likely to be a bottom six forward or sub with limited upside.

This is a good deal for Nashville as they need offense and only surrender a 4th round pick (indirectly) to gamble on a problem child who is only 22.

THe Habs give up on another young player keeping in mind that he is very immature and acts as a complete A-hole. This will either help his brother (in terms of not having a distraction around) or hasten his exit by the end of next year.

All of the malcontents have now been purged. G&G have now given Martin the team that he wants.

Watched Boyd play junior for Moose Jaw. I always thought he was a better player than Setoguchi, who played for my Blades. Awesome news for the Habs if this kid gets a shot he will be solid! NO ONE excels in Calgary…

INCREDIBLE deal by Gauthier, wow. Ellis is our back up if we re-sign him and Boyd is a kid who never should’ve been traded by Calgary, let alone Nashville too. I love this kid’s game, I was always hoping we’d find a way to nab him.

seriously, the Hamilton Bulldogs have dancers, and its total crap. they arent even good looking and they dont dance well. they are out of synch and its horrible. i usually sit behind the benches so end up getting up and dancing infront of them like an idiot.

go back to basketball, or football or whatever. but stay the HELL away from hockey!

you didn’t find he contributed elsewhere? i thought he was pretty good in carrying the puck deep, on power plays, and added some leadership in the playoff run… ok maybe he owes back like 3 mil but, i think he’ll be better n better for the habs.

This post (from Bryan) is worth going back to the top of the page. Habs have traded for two UFAs. One of them who was traded twice in four months and then not even qualified for a 10% raise. Gotta wonder although Boyd is still just 24.

The goalie market is flooded so getting the rights to Ellis isn’t exactly big news or a huge advantage.

The glass half full – SK74 and (his kindergarten behaviour) has left town to no longer be a distraction. The glass half empty – another young prospect leaves town with Montreal getting very little in return. Many posters are joyous while I kind of feel disappointed that another piece of the puzzle doesn’t fit.

If he’s healthy and relatively cheap, the one guy I’d like from free agency would be Willie Mitchell. He would be an excellent partner for Subban. OB-Spacek, Subban-Mitchell, Gill-Gorges, Markov returns later to give us a solid back seven.

Hamrlik to any team that needs to hit the salary floor, we’ll take some floor mats back.

And who is going to take on this player you so clearly loathe? Shouldn’t his awful play be obvious to every other GM in the league? So why would the rest of the league be interested in a pylon with a $5.5 million cap hit?

I disagree with you on Hamrlik’s play. Regardless of that, though, there is a very good chance he is not going anywhere because his contract and limited no-trade clause simply make him very difficult to move. Spacek or Gill are more likely to be moved than Hamrlik for purely financial reasons.

Perhaps Ellis figures that the market for goalies is saturated at the moment (the likes of Thomas and Nabakov), and figures that with Price’s recent inconsistency he might be able to earn a number one spot with the Habs even if he begins the year as the backup. So he agrees to a short-term deal for a bit less than he’d like, with the hope/intention of wresting the number one spot from Price, and then a bigger contract after that.

Disclaimer: I’m speaking against Price here. I want him to succeed and be the goalie he can be. I’m a Habs fan, not an Ellis, Halak or Price fan. Just saying that Ellis could look at the situation this way. Or he may not.

Either way, we got rid of a problem, picked up a big, young centre and potentially a solid goalie. I’m happy with that!

I think that’s what Ellis might be thinking in terms of a deal for MTL, it’s not like the slightly less than 30 goalies on the UFA market this year are going to mean he can price himself out across the NHL as well.

If we can get Ellis and Boyd signed that will be one heck of a trade for Montreal…..funny how nobody expected to get anything back for Sergei in a trade but yet we get not one but 2 NHL established players back in the deal….If Montreal can sign Dan Ellis (which I think they will) he’ll be Montreals number one goalie by mid season mmw…Great trade Gauthier

Awesome trade folks! Gauthier and the brass impress me yet again this off-season.

Boyd will be a great 4th line center, an upgrde on Metro and cheaper/younger then Moore.

If Ellis decides to sign (i think he will) then we also have ourselves a very solid veteran back-up.

I am curious about the “future considerations” though. I venture it’s draft picks going both ways depending on signings/play.

What does trading Sergei really mean?

1. We rid ourselvs of the cancer that is Sergei

2. It shows the players that the Habs won;t put up crap like that.

3. It may finally give Andrei the chance he needs to flourish by not having him around. If we think back, Andrei had a great year two seasons ago. During that time there were no issues with Sergei. Can’t help but make the connection.

What do you think?

————————————————————————

Never judge another man’s decision poor until you actually have proof of it failing!

Get used to it. I’ve decided to take a more balanced approach to things. You guys helped me out with you’re counters and arguments. I don’t know why I feel so giddy. I think I should lower my dosage of ritolin.

I’ve been saying that for months, a 70-game workhorse, regardless of who he is, a very bad idea. They fall apart as the post-season starts up because of no rest and while they may have their Vezina, they also have an early tee time. Ellis is just the kind of backup you need in the NHL for success.

Chris, no way Spacek will be moved. His contract was signed after he was 35 and he had a terrible season offensively. He’s about as untrade-able as it gets. Hamrlik however only has one more year on his contract and could help a rebuilding team hit the cap floor. Provided his list of 6 teams has someone on it that wants him, he’s a very trade-able asset.

Sergei going out of town actually gives me more faith in Andrei for another season in MTL. I know players are supposed to be professionals but Andrei was in a position of Sergei Vs his teammates. It was a terrible distraction and an impossible situation for him to navigate. PG may have just given him his gateway to getting back on track.

Dan Ellis is an ex-Hamilton Bulldog. ……………. Why did the Flames and the Preds give up on Boyd in such a short period (hidden injury, off ice issues ???). …………………… the thing we lose in SK74 is a player that can compete as a top six forward and also fill in adequately in the bottom six, we don’t have many of them.

This is an interesting trade because it could wind up being anything from a pure dump of SK74 for two guys we never end up seeing in a Habs uni to a trade that nets us some key parts for next year. If we do end up signing both guys, I think it’s another step in the right direction. Ellis at under $2 million could be a back-up with the ability to play as a number one (unlike Curtis Sanford). Yes, that might parlay itself into a goalie controversy but if a guy wins (a la Halak), there is little to argue about. This takes the pressure off Carey to feel like he is the only guy who has to carry the team. Plus, there’s still Desjardins in the minors if need be.

As or Boyd, he brings decent size and grit. He’s played in Canada before with the Flames and he’s played WJC hockey for team Canada. People are saying he takes Metor’s spot, but heck, this could very well be the end of Dominic Moore. Moore brought a lot to the team last year, but he’s another small forward, he’s older than guys like Laps/Eller/Boyd/Pyatt, and he’ll be asking for more money. As it stands, if the top 6 remain Cammi/Pleks/AK/Gomez/Gio/Pouliot, there will be a good mix of size and youth batttling for the bottom 6 spots:

Boyd, Lapierre, Pyatt, White, Moen, Pacioretty, Eller, Kristo, Darche, Palushaj, Desharnais, Trotter… this is assuming Metro and Moore are out and Maxwell is back in the AHL. You’d have to say Pyatt, Laps, and Darche have the inside shot at jobs based on their performance last year and Moen is a veteran who is unlikely to lose his job either despite not bringing what he was expected to. So barring another move, that leaves two spots for Boyd, White, MaxPac, Palushaj, Eller, Kristo or someone else. The competition at training camp will be intense, to say the least. I’d atually like to see Ryan White get a shot this year and maybe even get some time on the top two lines, because he has the best combination of size and speed. Boyd would be my second choice, and if Eller shows he’s ready, he’d fill out my roster. If we could sign Eric Neilsen to an NHL contract, I’d also love to see him as the enforcer in certain games. All this to say that we have some depth now and might be able to package off some of it with AK or Hamr or Spacek to get that elusive top 6 winger with size and scoring ability. As I said before, the Halak trade makes sense if and only if gauthier starts acquiring other players who will be ready to help this team win a Cup in 3-4 years. Getting the sense that maybe he is understanding that too.

You might want to learn some Russian to read those KHL sports stories for Sergei, Google Translate doesn’t handle the language very well. Guimauve will play in a place that doesn’t matter for a 3rd-rate team whose only being kept alive by a Koivu, hmmmm, I am having flashbacks of most of Koivu’s career for some reason.

Pouliot has a much bigger upside. Moore is not going to get any better and while his work ethic and performance were a million times more consistent this past year, Pouliot’s skills are not something to give up on yet. This is the type of guy who could be a 30-40 goal scorer year in year out if he develops properly. The habs traditionally give up on players like him too early.

So sergei was in his early 20’s and has a pissy attitude. My work is filled with guys in their early 20’s with a pissy attitude. I don’t necessarly have an issue with the trade, I have an issue with the fact that this organization has given up on yet another promising young player they have drafted due to personality issues. They either need to learn how to handle these ‘difficult’ younger players or start drafting more grounded individuals.

Maybe, but the 2010-2011 edition have been playing with each other for a year now. Many players on the team haven’t reached their peak : Cammalleri, Pouliot, AK46, O’Byrne, Eller, Price, and maybe even Plekanec. If we see any kind of improvement from these players, if Eller has some kind of impact, if the team can avoid an injury-plagued season, we could be in for a very entertaining season.

And, I, for one, think that Subban is going to have a HYOOGE impact on this team next season.

But I’m pretty much the Anti-Timo so I may be completely off too. Nevertheless, I like this team. It may not be a cup contending team, but it’s a competitive one and it will get bet even better when we replace Hamrlik’s contract with a top 6 forward in 2 years.

Not done for sure but hopefully that will change in the next day. I am realily up beat about this transaction and it shows PG is trying to improve the Habs. They finished up in the top 4 so that speaks volumes and any upward movement on player improvements is a bonus. Both would be excellent upgrades.

I hope your right Tom I would like to see 44 go bye bye and free up 5.5 mil your insight on hockey matters are good, I will still say your wrong about your insight when it comes to football just to keep you on your toes.

I had to check also because I thought Cedrick was big too. Looks like he’s a winner at all levels so far. Got to give the Habs scouts some credit. Looks like they know how to spot goalies. Price included, this is going to be his year!

Andrew – In a salary cap world, Nashville is still a bottom feeder. Superb management team that keeps the franchise afloat despite all odds. Great city, great arena and a very cool music scene but it’s all for naught when in comes to ice hockey. I call it the curse of David Legwand

His off ice antics consisted of demonstrating his displeasure when demoted or forced to sit. Show me someone who is happy to sit and I’ll show you a loser. I wish Sergei well and I hope Martin learns something from wasting this fine 130 point prospect. Gauthier made the best of a bad situation. I hope O’Byrne doesn’t have to complain to get the ice time he deserves.

Did anyone notice how those Maple Leaf fans are such sheep? They support management no matter what. It’s no wonder they haven’t won in 43 years.

Generally, the teams that are struggling to hit the cap floor are teams whose owners want to pay out minimal money. Because Roman Hamrlik’s contract is not front-loaded, there is not really a good value there. Teams generally look for overpaid veterans with front-loaded contracts to get to the cap floor.

As for the cap floor, not a lot of teams are in danger of being short…pretty much just the Islanders, Coyotes, Avalanche and Ducks. The other 5 teams that are still below the cap floor at the moment all have 5-10 players that they still need to fill out their rosters, so it shouldn’t be too big a struggle to get there.

As far as organizational needs go, this is a great trade for us. We finally didn’t get peanuts for yet another disgruntled player. We potentially got (pending signing) the best available backup this coming July 1st and a guy who can easily fill the shoes of a Glen Metropolit or even a Dominic Moore at cheaper cost than both.

Boyd is also 24. Moore and Metro aren’t getting any younger, as much as I loved both of em.

Just got in from fishing and ate and hit the link and wow looks like my fishing day was not so great but this news makes any bad turn to good. What an uplift to see the possibilty of signing these two players. Boyd is young and should be hitting his better playing days and Ellis would make a great backup for Carey if things get rough for him. Who knows maybe Carey is being shopped for a big top 6 forward or top 4 d-man ( although I can’t see it ) and Ellis is there to hold things together. Boyd was great when he played for the 2006 World Juniors and has not been that unproductive in his NHL career so far. He is an upgrade on Metro and much younger than Moore. I don’t think Lapps will hold out much longer and will sign since he sees changes being taken. Very good move by PG to have SK removed from the scene. Thank you PG.

Now if only we could get a draft pick for Andrei and send him along with Sergei… Future considerations? We have about 32 hours of “future” until July 1. 32 hours to lock Boyd and Ellis up, get something for Andrei, free up some cap space, and give Price his shot at earning the #1 job. Price paid his dues in the 2nd half and it looks like it’s paid off for him. He didn’t sulk, he worked hard, and his hard work even managed to expose Sergei for the cancer he was. The team has no choice but to rally around him now, and they will because they are professionals, not passengers. With Andrei gone, we will be passenger free with tremendous leadership and character. PG is putting a better team in front of Price and he won’t have to stand on his head like Jaro did! But make him earn it… give him a 1 year deal and put him in a position to cash in if he suceeds. The future is now. Too bad there won’t be any room for Moore…

Of course Ellis is happy, the Ghost of Habs Netminder #2 will possess his
play and turn him into the next 4.5 million man when he becomes a UFA again.

If the Habs sign Ellis they’ll have depth in nets and both goalies could very well help the Habs be a very good team. Need I remind everybody of the Roy/Hayward era and their stranglehold on the Jennings trophy for 3 years running. I am not saying they will accomplish that but I am agreeing with PG that two good goaltenders are needed in today’s NHL, notwithstanding last year’s Stanley Cup finals which had two teams without either.

Signing either of these two players makes this a win/win situation for the Habs. Honestly I don’t care about how good Sergei might be later, we needed to get rid of him as soon as humanly possible because of his attitude, and the fact we got ANYTHING for him is a coup.

Ellis is a better use of cap space than Moore. We posititely need a goaltender that’s reliable and competetive as insurance if Price is to be number one. He seems surpisingly grounded and may be the type that can take the pressure of playing in MTL.

Unfortunately for Moore there’s no lack of options for thirds / fourth line centres right now… Lapierre, Eller, Boyd, Pyatt, Maxwell, Deharnais. It’s a shame since we finally started to have a good 3rd line during the playoffs.

Hey this is not over yet because I am betting AK will be the next to go. He sulked when little brother went to the dog house and has nevered lived up to the player he was supposed to be. Time to move on and use that money for a player that will show up ever night.

We’ll see if PG has any intentions of signing Ellis maybe this was a way to free up money for a UFA he looking at. He just may bring up the Dogs goalie. Ellis made 1.8 last year he going to want more than that as UFA , I really don’t see PG signing him unless there is a flood on UFA goalies and his value goes down. The other possiblity is he trading Price because he demanding to much. Wow what a move that would be I would give him a A+ for guts.

Read Dobber’s initial Ellis/Price analysis. “The fact his rights were traded for, as opposed to hitting the UFA scene, speaks volumes about his value. He’s the perfect mentor for Price because he’s mentally tough and is still young enough to be Price’s close friend. I love this move because Price will be able to watch and absorb a young veteran playing with maturity and a strong work ethic.”

Not Sergei! He was my favourite bastich on the team. What’s wrong with a good’ole fashioned a-hole shootin his mouth off without a care in the world? Nothing wrong with that. THAT’s the type of lads I want, guys who’ll gouge your eye out (accidentally of course) at a moment’s whim AND who can fire a humdinger top-net afore you even knew what hit ya.

Aw nuts.

It’s like…it’s like they don’t care about me at all, man! What about what I want, dagnabbit?! I want a mean SOB, a dirty rotten bastich, evil, cruel…who can shoot the puck. That was Sergei to a T.

Oh well, I’m sure that girl in red will make a fine addition to… What? It’s the guy in white?

Ok, well, I’m sure he’ll be alright too.

So, uhhh, how many goals for Andrei this year? (gulp)

Keepin it real, I be chillin as

L.Bugs Potter, esq. Brotha to the Man with the Plan, Product-runnin Lead Houndogg with the Voodoo Flannel Posse, and Pimp Extraordinaire of Habsbros Mama Jones Snow Cones, muthafugga: http://habsbros.blogspot.com

Nashville gets a player who will complain if he’s not on the top line. Nashville gets a player who will whine if his coach looks at him the wrong way or speaks in a tone of voice that hurts his feelings. Nashville gets a player with a lousy work ethic, unless it involves booze and cheap women.

Montreal rids themselves of said player while taking on one of the most wanted back up goalies in this year’s free agency crop and a player who didn’t receive much playing time on either NHL team he’s played for in his career, has good size, plays great defense and put up 90 points when he was with Moose Jaw.

We acquired both these players for a guy who wasn’t coming back regardless. What exactly is wrong with trying to land two solid players in exchange for him? Sergei sucks and his piss poor attitude ruined his reputation around the league. I won’t be surprised if he’s in the KHL at the beginning of next season.

I am a master complainer. Why should I foresake these gifts the Good Lord saw fit to give me?

Aww, I wanted Sergei! We need more bastiches! Why, oh why, did we trade Sergei? Couldn’t we’ve given’m another chance? We shoulda given’m another chance. The talent, the speed, the grit, the mean streak, oh, the beauty of it all now lost forever. Sergeeeiii..! This blows!

…

Oh, well.

Oh, hey, nachos!

(Please excuse me)

Keepin it real, I be chillin as

L.Bugs Potter, esq. Brotha to the Man with the Plan, Product-runnin Lead Houndogg with the Voodoo Flannel Posse, and Pimp Extraordinaire of Habsbros Mama Jones Snow Cones, muthafugga: http://habsbros.blogspot.com

Or maybe getting rid of the whiney little brother might be just what the doctor ordered for AK. Without the distraction and drama of Junior, maybe AK can focus on learning English (which apparently is a problem for him) and finding his groove.

When I read HIO, I usually go through quickly scanning the avatars for the interesting contributors. Chris, your’s is one I always stopped at.

I read here that you are leaving. However, with all due respect, I find that hard to believe. Usually, people who say “i’m leaving!” don’t really want to. See the messages of most who say they will miss you? You are appreciated greatly. So I, for one, will be looking for your thought provoking ideas under a new identity. Give us clues ok….

Let’s face it, HIO is like Hotel California: “You can checkout any time you like, but you can never leave”.

Digg has buckets of problems even wiith the expensive solutions they implemented. The best solution is likely to not to respond to rude posts, or little groups. Eventually they wander off to post at CBC.

Chris, please reconsider. Your insight and opinions are always presented in a reasonable fashion with never a hint of personal attack or argument. There will always be the odd idiot on this site who does his best, consciously or otherwise, to start a rumble just for their own amusement. Your contributions are valuable and help balance things out around here. At worst just take a break, a vacation, a summer holiday if you will.

What used to be a pretty fun environment to talk hockey has been degrading more and more into pettiness, cliques and personal attacks. The clincher has been the last week, where almost every page features one or more instances of people resorting to personal attacks in discussions and some not so friendly e-mails showing up in my e-mail inbox in the morning. I get enough of that in real life…I don’t need to come to a website that used to be a form of entertainment to get it as well.

To those that found me arrogant or a know-it-all, you have my apologies. I’ve been trying to contribute my opinions over the years, and as a rather analytical person by nature, those often tended to be stat-heavy and/or laden with references, often obscure. I recognize that that obsession with stats grated on some people, as did the length of my posts (sorry Yeats…but I’m leaving one more before I go!)

To those who have contributed the many thoughtful and entertaining contributions over the years, even some of you who I often had disagreements with (yes you, HardHabits and Yeats), you have my thanks. I’ve probably spent far too many hours on this website over the past few years, and you and the HI/O Overlords were the reasons why.

Hope you all enjoy the UFA frenzy, and of course, I hope that you all have a wonderfully exciting Montreal Canadiens team to cheer towards a Stanley Cup. For far too many Habs fans, Stanley Cup victories are mythical things that can only be referenced as the proud legacy of a franchise seemingly struggling with mediocrity in recent years…I think we all hope that that changes as soon as possible, even if we often disagree on how exactly the team should get there!

No one in my mind has added more to this site, all while avoiding the nasty traps, as you have.

I had given up a few months ago myself and have returned recently with a newly sharpened ability to filter out everything other than the few I want to read. It’s way less fun this way though and not likely to be very sustainable.

C’mon Chris, just call a summer vacation and come back when the season starts, the Habs I/O police should be back at work reining this stuff in. I know we have a few special cases around here but honestly, you’re one of the best guys we have on the site and it would be a major loss for you to leave because of a few twits who can’t keep their self-control in check.

Chris! We need you on here. Suck it up my friend and take the high road. Never let the loud or the bullies have your ear. They win if people like you pack it in and we all loose. Have a scotch and we will see you here tomorrow my friend.

Sorry to hear that, especially the personal attacks via e-mails, but lets be honest, there has been pettiness, cliques and personal attacks since day one on this site. It hasn’t changed. I, myself, have left this site for extended periods of time, when the bull$#it got to be too much, but I always return, even if it is only to catch up on the latest scuttlebut.

There will always be the pfft’s, Ryan Getzlaf’s and leaf losers on this site. As for Yeats, well at least he has the balls to call a spade a spade with a touch of humour, even if you didn’t always agree with him. For some reason, I get the feeling that a great sense humour is not one of your better attributes.

I’m no fan of BG’s tenure as our GM either. Gauthier is starting his tenure worse though. Scape-Goatier? Nah. I know we had a tough call with our goalie situation, and trading our rising star in Halak was pretty damn gutsy, I’ll give him that much. Regardless of the “guts” factor, however, he HAD to do a LOT FREAKIN’ BETTER than a guy who has never scored more than 18 goals at any level–Eller–and a projected 2nd or 3rd line energy guy–Schultz–for a possible franchise netminder, no matter what Halak’s contract status was.

Were Eller and Schultz even the Blues’ best prospects? After so many seasons mired in mediocrity, I really doubt that they were. We’ll be bitter about this deal for a long, long time. However, we couldn’t afford Halak, so roster players like Perron were obviously off-limits.

2010 Draft: while Tinordi fills a big need for us, I think we needed to draft some forwards with size instead, given our dearth of size up front. Aside from the 2 we got for Halak, MaxPac is our biggest guy in Hamilton, and the size factor really plummets after him. And let’s face it, Pacior(isn’t)retti won’t be confused with Byfuglien any time this century–his size is no significant part of his game. I’d rather have taken a big center like Pitlick and kept the 2nd rounder–according to Scott Cullen at tsn.ca, 2nd rounders have a 25% chance of making the NHL and playing 100+ games, which is much better than MacMillan’s shot at 110+ and a paltry, Ribiero-ish 150 lbs…

Yes, getting even Team Scotland’s communal jockstrap for Sergei Kostitsyn was a good move, so if we sign just Boyd–an energy guy who can score the odd goal–we won this deal. I can’t see Ellis signing though, not unless Goatier can move a big deal like Hamrlik, or two lesser deals like Spacek and AK46. Pity, as Ellis would be a solid option when/if Price falters. Certainly better than Biron, whose GAA of 3.27 makes him better suited to a Leaf uniform…

Certainly Ellar and Schultz coulda, shoulda, woulda been had, if the Habs picked them when they had their chance, given the goaltender glut this summer, and looking back to when all they got for Huet was a 2nd round pick, so the Habs get 2 players further up the depth chart then when they could’ve been had so everything evens out.

What are you gonna do with 5 picks? I mean c’mon. Chicago had 5 picks in the 1st 2 rounds. I think Florida made out like bandits. The draft hasn’t been the Habs strong card since the 70’s and two very good/lucky years under Serge Savard, both which led to Cups.

This is a rebuild and given the Habs penchant for making the playoffs or at least competing for those extra gates, their predicament is that of the plodding turtle not the speedy bunny rabbits like the Hawks were.

I like the moves so far although the Halak one as much as I understood it still doesn’t sit well in my gut and that is more towards the NHL ponzi scheme than Habs management. I am invariably going to give them the benefit of the doubt on that one.

He was pretty close to $2M last year Ian. I think 2.5-2.75 is what Gainey, I mean, Gauthier will give him. Don’t get me wrong, I am a Price fan. Not so much a Gainey as a GM fan (a good man though). I think Pierre has done far more in a lot shorter time than Bob did. Looking forward to the next year(s) under Gauthier!

Yeah I can see that. I may have only been posting since yesterday, but I’ve been reading the comments here for about two years. I am pretty familiar with his style. I don’t care how you put it, or if he denies it, but he is contrary. He likes to argue for argument’s sake. Which is fine sometimes, I guess. But from now on I guess if I’m gonna say something facetiously I have to make it extra clear or risk getting shot down by the morality squad.

Anyways, I never meant to start crap with anyone. In hindsight, horrible first post.

This trade is good from a Montreal perspective, because it rids them of a cancer that was on the team. We need a player like Boyd to play on the bottom two lines and that would most likely be a great fit. However the real question is is Ellis willing to play second fiddle or back-up to Carey Price, because once Halak was traded Price became our number 1 by default?

I’m not gonna bother anymore. This is stupid. You are making something out of nothing here. No matter what I say you’ll come back with some sensationalist retort that just barely applies if I squint hard enough.

Wait, so since Sergei was given a qualifying offer, his rights are Nashville’s post-July 1?

If so, and he walks and signs elsewhere for not too much (i.e. another team submits and offer sheet), the Preds get a 3rd round pick. Plus, if Ellis signs with the Habs, the Preds get a 3rd there.

Thats potentially two 3rd round picks for two players they were going to let walk.

The trade then, was not on the radar yesterday, before the qualifying offer deadline. Talks must have started and the deal closed today or the Preds maybe would have made qualifying offers to Ellis and Boyd in order to fetch an extra pick or something from the Habs – thats if the rights from a qualifying offer are transfered in a trade.

price is 22 ..why does he have to be a superstar goalie now…what if he becomes a top goalie at 25 …if we sign ellis and he plays 30-35 games thats fine….the young forwards that we have in the system will not be ready for 2-3 years..these young forwards have a way higher upside potential than the ones we have in hamilton now…

Where did you hear 3rd round pick for Ellis? That’s not what it is at all. If Sergei doesn’t sign with Nashville we give up a 5th round pick, and if Ellis doesn’t sign here they give us a 5th round pick. That’s all it is.

If you think about it, it’s something for nothing for us too. If anyone told me yesterday Sergei Kostitsyn could be traded straight up for a 4th round draft pick I would have scoffed, that’s how low he’s forced his trade value with his behaviour. And I LIKED Sergei.

No matter what, he wasn’t going to be on this team next season after that interview with a Russian newspaper. He was either going to the KHL where we would get no compensation, or we would trade him after July 1st for a low draft pick to some other team willing to take a chance. I think we’ve got a good situation here, both teams involved have a chance to benefit and we’ve built a relationship with Poile for the future as well.

Potentially a pretty nice deal for the Habs. Boyd will probably be signed, and is exactly the kind of 4th line center a good team needs. Not garbage offensively (I mean he had 1 less goal than Gomez last year lol). Good defensively, Gritty. As for Ellis, he was the very goaltender I wanted in Montreal, that was available, after PG donked Halak off to St. Louis. I really hope they sign this guy. Price has nothing on him and if he plays his best can easily steal the #1 job away, just like Halak did. I would give it 50/50 Ellis is the man by Xmas. I hope he can see this opportunity. For a guy in SK74, that 100% had to be dealt and was never going to find a place here, very nice return if they can sign both guys.

Same here. Ellis was the exact guy I wanted, out of everyone who was available. It was SeriousFan09, who as usual, was yapping like he thought he knew something, who was saying it would never happen. I’m sure it’s true, Ellis would like to be a starter,and I believe he has as good a chance in Montreal as anyplace with unproven Price ahead of him.

God damn you’re delusional. Price has nothing on Ellis? I like Ellis as a goalie but he played in Nashville, a place notorious for padding shots against stats, and he’s put up a .909 and .900 save % the last two seasons. Price had .912 last season and you’ve been ripping him to shreds.

Why is stating the truth, crapping on Price? If I don’t say Price is the undisputed #1 and has no chance of losing the job, it means I’m insulting Price. It’s not like Price hasn’t laid an egg before and been relegated to the bench. There really isn’t much between the 2 guys, career numbers wise, so why is my statement so off base that it’s worth categorizing as just an insult rather than something in the realm of possibility. The 50/50 part was just my guess and I’m thinking if the guy is signed, it isn’t a very bad one.

Ellis won an ECHL Championship at 24, Price won a Calder Cup Championship at 19. Ellis won USHL Goaltender of the year, Price won CHL Goaltender of the year. Won WJC Gold with Best Goaltender, Ellis did not participate in any WJ events.

They both started played the NHL in the past 3 years, Price is 60-48-18-4 with a .912% and 2.73GAA, Ellis is 50-42-8-10 with .912% and 2.64 GAA.

Well the talk was Ellis wanted to go to a team where he could take the #1 spot on Day 1, not have to battle for it and it made sense, he’d just done that and lost in NSH so it wasn’t unreasonable to expect he’d want to go elsewhere. Craig Anderson hopped last July 1st to Colorado for his first starting job after doing a good job as a FLA backup but for the Panthers to stick with Vokoun.

And you are suggesting I yap like I think I know things? You’ve suggested Ellis, a guy who took until 27 to break into the NHL will easily take over the MTL net after losing to Pekka Rinne for the job in NSH. Neither he nor Rinne have won any playoff series in their playing careers thus far.

LOL…never said you were insulting Price…the season has not started yet, Ellis does not even have a Habs jersey yet, let alone a contract and he, in your eyes, already has 50/50 odds of being the #1 by December…but TECHNICALLY you are correct, he and Price both have a 50/50 chance of being the #1, ie. either they are or they aren’t…TRUE 50/50….

There you go opening your trap again, talking like a know-it-all and come out looking dumb, as per usual.

Career Price: winning% .448…GAA 2.73…save% .912…Shutouts. 4

Career Ellis: winning% .450…GAA 2.64…save% .912…Shutouts 10

Now tell me genius, how does stating “Price doesn’t have anything on Ellis” come across as a false statement in any regard. You’ve got to stop yapping and talking like you know something, before you actually look at the whole picture. You just come off as an idiot. Probably are the one who chased Chris away.

I don’t see how this alters my point. All that means is that Ellis put up a worse save % on a better team that prides itself on defense, who’s stats keepers are known to boost save numbers. I see all the evidence showing that Price looks better.

Just my opinion, but the stats would indicate that they are pretty even except in shutouts (although I always thought that Price had more than 4 shutouts in these first three years)…my beef was that he was getting ahead of himself, Ellis does not even have a contract and he already has a 50/50 chance of being the #1…how about the team gets his signature on a contract first?

Here’s the guy who is the oxymoron to his tag. You even wrote the stats out! Their NHL careers have virtually gone the same. Similar teams, almost identical stats, both lost their jobs last year. I mean what is wrong with you? Also, get that Minors garbage out of here, it’s a joke to the conversation.

So two thousands of a winning %, nine hundreths of a GAA differential, even save % and S0 numbers this early in a career? Please.

Those numbers are so close together it’s little proof of anything. Stating them doesn’t make your case, it just illustrates you don’t really have one and are grasping at straws so you can continue your anti-Price campaign.

You just stated Ellis has it all over Price, where are the large differences in wins, GAA or save %? They don’t exist, therefore I don’t understand this nonsense that he’s got every advantage over Price and is a superior goaltender. I pointed out some earlier career accomplishments to illustrate that at no point, has Ellis been above Price as well. The only thing Ellis has all over Price ATM is Twitter followers and your support I would suggest.

During these seasons the Predators have 100 and 88 points, while the Canadiens have recorded 88 and 93 points. So Ellis, while being older, has recorded a worse record, worse statistics, on a superior team that prides itself on defense first hockey, in a city with stats keepers that are known league wide to inflate shot totals for home games. And you don’t see an advantage there?

Let’s pretend that your comment WASN’T blatant fishing for responses and meant to annoy people, and you actually feel that a guy who hasn’t even signed a contract with the Canadiens, has less of a pedigree in the NHL, has been worse than Price the last two seasons has a 50/50 shot at being #1 by December. And you think your comment is above criticism? And you call OTHER people arrogant???? You’re the most arrogant person on this site. You’re word isn’t gospel, James. In fact about 50% of your claims about Price are utter horse manure. So no, you’re not above reproach, and you’re CLEARLY not above repeatedly calling anyone who critiques your comments an idiot repeatedly.

To be fair…you have to include the Minors since that is how draft position and pedigree are determined…Ellis was not a big draft day splash (as far as I can remember), etc…it’s like saying what Seguin and Hall did in the minors really should not determine what their pedigree and that they really were not worthy ofg being #1 and #2 overall.

I mean I really can’t believe you guys. It’s really getting dull wasting my time, having to spell everything out, arguing every truth, everytime I come on here. It’s not even funny anymore. Look, You are stating my point!! They are about equal. I don’t think you understood what was meant by “Price has nothing on Ellis”. It means they are both more or less EQUAL. Seriously Serious Fan.

Actually, that statement implies that Ellis is superior to Price, so maybe it’s the grammar of the English language that you have so much trouble understanding. Not to mention that even if their stats over the last two years WERE equal, which they aren’t, the fact that Price has done it at a younger age on an inferior team shows that he DOES have something on Ellis.

LOL, whatever man. What I stated is very close to the way it is (like always), All your creative excuses don’t change what the career numbers are. Is TomNickle giving you private lessons in selective stats manipulation to try to dispute any truth…… I’m pretty up there with acting like an a-hole. but you and Nickle and some of the grumpy old guys on here are right there with me…..Some of You guys are just not very sharp IMO, so I get annoyed with having to waste my time arguing things that should be apparent and we miss out on real debate topics, like who we should go after on the UFA market….. I probably was trying to annoy a few Price paramours, but I actually believe exactly what I said. That is why i really wanted the guy. I think he definately has #1 potential.

Truth is a fickle thing that can be interpreted in many different ways, people percieve the truth in different ways and will purport it to support their arguments as they see fit. There are few absolute truths in the universe and the concept of Price being incapable of being a successful #1 for Montreal is hardly one of them.

Yes it is. But this fact is not particularly clear to all “fans”. In reading the comments on at TSN I had to suffer through poster after posting saying crap like “OMG teh habs is so stupid this means they traded halak for ellis”. When I read comments like that I can’t help but conclude that if you’re still hung up on the Halak trade you’re probably an idiot.

Look, I never said Ellis has every advantage over Price. I said Price has nothing on Ellis, meaning Price is not better than Ellis. Then I said I feel, if Ellis signs, I handicap it even money, that Ellis steals the job from Price by Xmas. I then presented their career stats to yappy Berkshire, to spell out what I stated. That they are more or less equal by looking at their NHL careers. I mean is that statement so crazy? You Price boys are just over the edge, when it comes to him. I mean it’s really gone too far now.

Let’s end on an agreement. I agree 100% that there are few absolute truths and that something that is not absolute can be interpreted in many ways. The concept of Price being a successful #1 is of course a possibility. I would handicap slightly higher than 2 to 1 that he becomes a relatively successful #1 goalie. So that’s 70% chance IMO. I don’t think he will be a “great” goalie. But that’s a different story. I also really think that, if Ellis signs, he has a pretty decent shot at becoming #1 in Montreal.

Point is, gimme a camera and three days, I’ll render a highlight video of my sister’s pet monkey make you think he’s Super Mario.

C’mon.

Highlight videos are worth exactly as much as the the space they occupy on a digital memory-card, factoring inflation, distribution, austerity measures in China and regional taxes,: 3 dollars and 87 cents.

But you get the point, dagnabbit!

Keepin it real, I be chillin as

L.Bugs Potter, esq. Brotha to the Man with the Plan, Product-runnin Lead Houndogg with the Voodoo Flannel Posse, and Pimp Extraordinaire of Habsbros Mama Jones Snow Cones, muthafugga: http://habsbros.blogspot.com

I like how you blame everyone else for assuming that your grammar mistake, combined with your history of needlessly bashing Price meant that you were doing the same thing now.

Also saying anyone who disagrees with you is just stupid… Not exactly a way to foster healthy debate on the internet where the slightest comments get taken completely out of proportion is it? The fact is, you get into so many arguments for the same reason I do, you reply to people sarcastically and come in here willing to argue instead of discuss. If you don’t like that, change your attitude.

As for manipulating stats, narrowing the field to recent history isn’t manipulating anything.

Rabbits are the psychic conduits of the gods Andrew. Everyone knows that

Hey, I’m lovin’ the action on the trades and signings but I’m getting real ticked at these flame wars starting up again. Must be the annual hockey withdrawal season that triggers them. I hated to read that comment Chris put up saying he was leaving because of them.

“They (our Boys) have achieved all that they wanted to achieve. It was sheer will and determination that made that happen. And it was not without resistance that these goals were met.

While your humble reporter does not typically subscribe to conspiracies against a team for which there is clear personal bias, there were cases this post-season that really questioned that standpoint. In other words, the NHL really did not want the Habs beating either of their golden boys (Ovechkin or Crosby).

Like David v. Goliath, Steve Austin v. Vince McMahon, or the precedent setting, hippies v. government, your Montreal Canadiens waged war against the odds and against the powers that be. They would have fought God Himself if He hadn’t thought twice and decided, “whoa, eff this sh*t.”

But in the end, after meeting their goal, the Habs simply decided that this was enough. It wasn’t that they were tired. It wasn’t that they lost that loving feeling. In the end… It was Sergei Kostitsyn.

Yes, after defeating the glamorous Capitals, and the mighty Penguins, the Canadiens had an internal meeting wherein they concluded that winning the Cup would mean having to engrave Sergei’s name upon the same surface that holds glorious names such as Richard, Beliveau, and Richard. That, dear readers, simply will not do.

So in being eliminated from the playoffs, your Habs paid the ultimate sacrifice, and proved themselves heros once more.”

That right there, is crazy. Completely bongo. Straight dope’ll do it to ya every time.

And that’s what Habsbros deals in. You know this.

Keepin it real, I be chillin as

L.Bugs Potter, esq. Brotha to the Man with the Plan, Product-runnin Lead Houndogg with the Voodoo Flannel Posse, and Pimp Extraordinaire of Habsbros Mama Jones Snow Cones, muthafugga: http://habsbros.blogspot.com

But seriously man, do you get off on being contrary? I’m not saying that people who disagree with me are stupid. I’m saying that there seems to be a strong correlation between disagreeing with me (on this topic) and being stupid (over at tsn).

Now before you go and say something about who I am to judge other people’s intelligence based solely on a 10 word comment, for the love of all that is good, go read them.

I actually thought the flame wars died down today after Kostitsyn was traded, but maybe I just ignored more in the afternoon. Chris will be back I’m sure when things die down and there’s a purge of some idiots like Tony242.

As for bunnies, I always knew they were a little fishy. Eating all those carrots, what do they need such good eyesight for anyway?

I hope so. I was away for a few days and haven’t looked in too often but when I did…wow!!! The degenerating process started a few weeks ago and has been gaining momentum. And all I can figure is that two things have spurred the process; first the Halak trade, which was bound to bring out the divided goalie camps and second the arrival of a new poster (whose name shall only be uttered in the prescence of votive candles).

I guess Boyd would be a cheaper version of Moore if he could be signed. He is perfectly suited for Martin’s game.

Is there a possibility that Modano signs with the Habs to play on a line with Gomez & Gionta? The Bob Gainey connection could influence Gauthier to at least look into such a scenario. Remember when the club sought to bring Brett Hull here…

OK, so it’s none of my business. You know, sticking my big nose into other peoples discussions and all. But you must know that our Bugs is a sort of institution around here. Loves to test the mettle of newbies to see if they can trade a few barbs and raise the level of their performance through challenges, without getting all personal and bent out of shape. He kinda grows on you after a while.

You can’t accuse someone of being contrary because if they deny it, they’re being contrary! Not nice, Mickey.

This “collective consciousness” would “be neat” if it mirrored your own, right?

Guess what, Mickey? TSN, RDS, ESPN, The Chong-dong-wang-yung News, are ALL gonne have someone or somebody saying something you find “stupid”. I dare say YOU’VE probably written or uttered something or somewhat that was considered “stupid” by others at some point, yes?

We KNOW we have to read stuff that seems out’ve left field or might be even BE outta left field, but it’s their OPINION, and they’re entitled to it. Either ignore or retort. Educate them or walk away. But high’n’mighty “they’re stupid” is abject weakness and brings NOTHING to the table.

Have a phrase I employ from time to time on this matter: The only people who don’t know hockey are those who accuse others of not knowing hockey. I know you didn’t say it, Mickey; I’m just drawing out the ball-park lines.

Surely this is not your first time in the etherworld; there’s a whole lotta crazy out there. You gotta sift through is all. Why comment on the crazy if it’s crazy and why insult those who have opposing ideas to your own instead or retorting intelligently?

Educate us on why Halak being traded was “good”. Or “bad”. Either way, you’ll have an interesting debate with SOMEONE.

No? Hey, maybe I’m mistaken and you DO have all the answers, can see the future, know what’s best, must mock those who do not follow you, and be better off at the head of the Canadiens with total carte blanche. I can’t say fersure because I don’t presume to have those abilities. Won’t lie to ya.

Keepin it real, I be chillin as

L.Bugs Potter, esq. Brotha to the Man with the Plan, Product-runnin Lead Houndogg with the Voodoo Flannel Posse, and Pimp Extraordinaire of Habsbros Mama Jones Snow Cones, muthafugga: http://habsbros.blogspot.com

For a couple days here, basically the last 3 at least, Habsrdestiny and Tony242 have posted about 50 comments an hour it seems, and that’s screwed everything up. There really needs to be an ignore function.

Modano is a natural center, but I thought maybe he would like the idea of playing on an all-American line with Gomez and Gionta. He could also flip over to play center with Cammalleri and Plekanec on the wing. It’s a reach, but you never know.

I would love to debate the Halak trade with someone but right now I would much rather this monster pile of tripe you just produced.

You say I can either retort or ignore. Well that may be true within the confines of that forum. But let’s just say I came here to give a warning.

Do you always resort to putting words in people’s mouths to win an argument? Kinda underhanded don’t you think?

I find it really insulting how you imply that I’ve come here preaching my opinion as the word of God. All your rhetorical questions which are in fact thinly veiled insults leave me with the impression that you do think you have all the answers.

Also, I love how you chose to act all preachy about the subjectivity of stupidity anyways.

Look, I came here to post a quick dumb comment about how bad the forums on other sites can be but now you’ve gone and blown it all out of proportion. Way to go, man.

Even if it’s a little too hot for me, I gotta love the way ladies are dressed

I think it’s a little shame that Sergei didn’t really get the chance to develop as player. I allways liked his passing skills. I also think AK will be better when he doesn’t have to “look after his babybro”…

Sergei has talent and should do well in Nashville. I’m reasonably sure that this will have been another missed opportunity on the part of management; that in my estimation may be one of the worst at developing and losing talent, to take a kid with spunk and guts that expresses his opinion and not be able to find a creative way to integrate him. The old dinosaurs on the management team expect an unconditional heal click and arm up at their command. Should AK74 develop and the Halak trade backfire, I would say that most of management will be gone. Bring in Roy either at GM or coach and a Guy Boucher type coach (oops! another one that got away, I guess just too progressive for the dinosaurs). Thats my opinion for this June 30th, 2010.

A warning? Well, uh, thanks for the warning but it’s totally unnecessary. We’ve been here longer than you and don’t get worked up as much anymore when we read something we consider silly or off-point.

I put words in your mouth now? I’m sorry for putting these in your mouth: “When I read comments like that I can’t help but conclude that if you’re still hung up on the Halak trade you’re probably an idiot.”

Yet how I managed to type those words with your fingers through your account is a mystery I intend to take to the grave. But I apologize for putting them in your mouth…

My “rhetorical questions”? There were no rhetorical questions, Mickey. Please look up definition of “rhetorical question” and apply properly. There was also NO “thinly-veiled insults” only your perception of them. Nuance. I don’t insult. Not my style. I can’t help your perception, which, to wit, is the reason I called you out in the first place.

I hope you DO love how I act all preachy about the subjectivity of stupidity because that’s my specialty.

I blew nothing out’ve proportion, Mickey; you maintained: “I’m not saying that people who disagree with me are stupid. I’m saying that there seems to be a strong correlation between disagreeing with me and being stupid.”

Tempering the overinflated self-importance of your OPINION is certainly NOT “blowing out’ve proportion”, sorry to say, Mickey. Quite the contrary, in fact.

Keepin it real, I be chillin as

L.Bugs Potter, esq. Brotha to the Man with the Plan, Product-runnin Lead Houndogg with the Voodoo Flannel Posse, and Pimp Extraordinaire of Habsbros Mama Jones Snow Cones, muthafugga: http://habsbros.blogspot.com

It appears that Modano is quite serious about coming back for another year. Is this a case of another NHLer who just doesn’t know when to hang them up? Is there no Yzerman role for Mike in Dallas? Will Joe take heat for this move or is it a necessary ‘Koivu like’ move that is necessary to take the team in a new direction?

Modano will probably want to join a serious Cup contender as it certainly won’t be about the coin. That leaves the Habs out but you have to wonder if Washington is in the mix.

Shows how unfair life can be on this site. We lose a great poster like chris and we are stuck with an idiot like this who does nothing more then tell people what their opinions should be on a day to day basis.

I agree with you re the fear that we Mtl has been terrible developing the young player slike Lats and SK. And so there failing to live up to potential is partially the team’s fault.

But you also have to judge a player’s motivation and character by his actions off the ice. SK coming out within the last week and saying what he said in the manner he said it tells me a whole lot. He does not take into consideration the TEAM. And he does not see beyond his own stall in the locker room. There are many players who dont fully agree with their coach or other teammates but the high character ones do not spout off like that. Way I see it anyways.

And if you believe what Tony(team 990) reported about Lats and his agent daring Gainey to send their ‘highly touted quebec pick’ down to the farm is true.. then the same goes for Lats. Lats may have wisened up but that’s because he had to.. he couldnt depend on a french media to put him on a pedestal with the Wilds.

Mtl definitely needs to correct their handling of young players. Which is why I am glad we signed Pouliot. I hope we work with him to build his confidence etc. And I hope we do better with Pac and others in farm system. But I have no regrets re SK.. and just a little re Lats.

Great trade. I expect Boyd, Eller and Lapierre to bounce around the 3rd and 4th line center positions as well as one winger spot. Signing Ellis before thursday will be a tough task, but he and Price would make a good 1, 2 combo if we can get it done. Only downside is of course the entire Halak/Price debate will return in full force between Price/Ellis if we sign him.

In any case, its a good trade for just Sergei, who had clearly run his course in MTL. I would say I wish him the best, but I don’t, here’s hopeing he enjoys a lucrative career as a mediocre 2nd liner.

Timing is close because they had until 5pm today to get the qualifying offer to the NHL, However is it possible is was done at the same time as the deal with Boyd? Is it possible we matched what they were going to offer and simply sent it in before the deadline?

i dont know whether to be happy or not about the trade. we get rid of a problem and on the other hand everytime we do that they always make us regret our desicion ( lats, ribs, ryder for a while). i guess we just have to wait and see

I would’ve paid someone to take Sergei, so even the chance to get something in return is good enough for me!

I think Moen-Boyd-Pyatt (Darche?) will be a great fourth line…we’ll actually have a legitimate hitting line!!!

The biggest winner in this whole deal is AK46. I think we should keep him for the year and see how he plays without SK74’s influence. I know it’s a contract year, so if he plays well lots of people will argue that is why, but I really believe SK74 was a huge distraction for him.

As far as Ellis…I doubt we can afford him at the moment, or that he is too keen on backing up Price. Perhaps management is thinking of keeping Price as a backup for the year and letting him mentally recharge? Seems unlikely…

Preds win this deal pretty easily. 2 pending UFAs for young player who’s shown flashes of being a good two way top 6 winger and has the skill to do it but is immature. This is going to be just like the Latendresse trade where he’ll decide to grow up once he’s got a change of scenery.

Hey, a bag of pucks! I cannot believe people are getting excited because of the potential addition of a backup goalie and a fourth-liner. Must be the off-season. When’s the parade?

That said, now Sergei can go where they don’t know hockey, get 50 points, drive Barry Trotz insane and have their fans think he’s a good player.

For me, a veteran partner for Price is a must, don’t know if Ellis fits that salary profile, however. If he comes cheap, then I’ll be pleased with this move. (And really, it is all about pleasing me, isn’t it?)

I’d rather have Moore than Boyd, guess we’ll soon see how that plays out.

Don’t worry everyone, I’ll send along our best regards to SK when I’m in Nashville on my honeymoon in August

First time in a while that I’ve been immediately pleased at the news of a Habs trade. I know the contract situation with Ellis and Boyd isn’t ideal, but I would have been perfectly fine trading Sergei for a 6th-rounder last October, let alone today, so I think it’s a good move

That’s what makes this place so great. He might be alone in saying it but he may very well have people who although happy with this move will agree with what he’s saying. I for one am tired of the Ribieros and the Latendresses going elsewhere and improving their game. Good riddance to them all if they can’t get their acts together here.

Much like the Latendresse trade, I’d be perfectly content either way if Sergei becomes the next Kovalchuk or if he spends the rest of his career in the minors. Main thing is, he’s not wasting a spot in Montreal……and if by chance he DOES become the next Kovalchuk, he’s way out in the West =)

Two pluses here.. Ellis isnt a young goalie seeking to be number 1 and he ISNT FRENCH. The french media wont jump at every Price lost and clamour for Ellis. This was a remarkable move by Gauthier.. providing the financial considerations (signing them both) work out. This has made the team lots better and tougher and more stable.

Halak was my guy.. but once we made the decision.. I think Gauthier made a fantastic deal for the team. I bet the habs players are really bouyed by this deal.

I’d be sad to see Moore go as well. But if Laps stays on the wing as in the playoffs, Moore could be the third-line centre with Laps and Eller (he is a centre I know, but people on here have been mentioning that he can play the wing as well). Then have Moen-Boyd-Pyatt on the fourth line.

As for myself, I’m not particularly excited about what received, but what we got rid of.

I agree, I think Ellis will command too much salary, but we might get a pick out of it (future considerations). Unless PG has an ace up his sleeve…

Its a trade that cost the Predators nothing in the short term, since neither Boyd or Ellis were to be retained. Kostitsyn is a highly-skilled, though underperforming winger whose cap hit was $800,000 in 2009-10, and it’ll be interesting to see if Poile can re-sign him to a similar deal.

I think the “future considerations” part of the deal depends on whether we sign these players or not. We probably give the preds a pick if we sign either or both of these guys and they give us a pick if we don’t.

I’m not ok if he became THAT good – it means they didn’t work with him like they should have from day 1. SK was rushed and pampered rather than forced to work for his spot. As a result he sulked and acted like a spoiled brat when sent back to Hamilton. I really wish we had Boucher because I believe he would have whipped him into shape at the NHL level

But what can you do? We needed a good backup and Boyd looks interesting. Rather than let this baby sulk further they did what they had to do. No real complaints.

Giving up on Latendresse was a mistake. The main problem is how the habs used him, they expected him to be the physical presence on any given line they put him on just because the others are so little, expect him to go take his lumps in front of the net. It wasnt his game. In Minny they had some other guy on the line do it, Clutterbuck. Lats was given the freedom to play his game.

he’s too fat and lazy to sustain any kind of a career, mark my words. He had his chance with the Habs, and did nothing. He will never be able to perform in the play-offs, that’s for sure, given how he couldn’t even handle any degree of criticism in montreal

I agree, if they can’t handle Montreal, I think it shows a lack of character. Sergei and Latedontdress were two guys who thought they were entitled and could never fully get their acts together. We want guys who are passionate and want to be good in Montreal, never resting on their laurels.

I don’t have your email anymore as I lost my entire outlook and had to start it from scratch a few months back but I can tell you from personal experience that a brief sabbatical is all that is necessary. I got really fed up after free agencyl last year and then again right before the playoffs and shortly after them and didn’t post for a few weeks or a couple of months both times…kept reading though (mainly to see what a handful of you guys were discussing). Sometimes a handful of people decide to squash intelligent discussion and on more than a few occasions I have let myself get sucked in all too easily and amazingly you don’t. I got the bug back and have been a little better of late at avoiding the circus if ya know what I mean. Take a week or two and get back on here cause you are very, very needed.

You are hands down the most informative and rational person on here and although we sometimes disagree (not too often though). Like the great majority here, I always read your posts and strongly believe anyone would be foolish not to consider your perspective on virtually any issue regardless of their stance or position on anything Habs related. I am not going to accept that you will not be posting and hope you just take a break…a brief break but take what is necessary. The handful of mouthier posters who you are having issues(who isn’t?) with are very vocal but I can promise you they are a small fraction of the population here and you would be hard pressed to find 2 percent of peole on here who would not be terriobly disappointed if you really did leave. Now I know you won;t respond to this but if you did you would probably let me know that that statisticv I threw out there can’t be proved or could be reversed, or flipped, dipped, stripped or something…and that is exaclty why we need you. Expect to hear from you sooner than later.

This is what concerns me. I envision SK74 becoming a top forward now that he got his wish to leave. You know what though? Good riddance. Just like with Lattendresse if they don’t want to play here then don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

Even if Sergei does become a solid player, he was never going to do it here and he has a piss poor attitude, not to mention he’s lazy. We don’t need players like that in Montreal and that’s why Lats was shown the door too.

People are really underrated Boyd, too. Kid has really good size and he’s an absolute stud when he has playing time. He’s going to be the gem of this trade, mark my words.

SK will have his flashes, but I can’t see him ever being better than say Robiro. he will hit his ceiling and bolt to the K.H.L where he will be reminded every day of how well Montreal spoils their players with more than just a salary.

Sad to see Sergei not playing upto his potential and not giving his best when given the chance. Really liked the kid in his rookie year. Well based on his recent play, for a player like him, we got a good value in return. Hopefully we get to sign both, but that will be tough, considering the cap space left.

I don’t think it matters. He wasn’t getting along that well with the players, the coach and the management. So if he wants to be an attitude queen, so be it. If he becomes a star player – good for him. But this isn’t the management’s fault in any scenario. Sergei ruined his reputation himself. He did not deserve a roster spot in Montreal for next season.

Ellis would be an upgrade from the proposed Biron idea and worth a little more $ given Price’s history (not to start another controversy.) Boyd- a younger, bigger cheaper version of Moore, a character third or 4th liner. I know we gave up a pick for Moore but we save a little cap room for more potential UFA options.

So how much will it cost to sign Ellis as a back up to Price and how does this salry compare to what Halak would have taken to stay in Montreal? If that difference is $1million or less, I am at best, puzzled by Gauthier’s latest move.

Good trade really, backup for CP ,and some size on the team. Actually on a team with relatively no superstar namebrand players,then everyone has a shot at achieving & perhaps the team will be exactly that a ‘team’ Also I have to agree with one of the recent posts that unless Ellis becomes a sensational goalie,then Price will look better,& he will have a chance to sink or swim on his own merits. I do agree also that I somewhat think that Price may not have a long career in Montreal.

The future considerations in the deal are really quite simple. Because
none of the players are signed to contracts for next season, whichever
team signs the traded players owes the other team a late-round draft
choice. No big deal there.

veryone who’s saying SK74 for nothing, read the McKenzie article, it has a good breakdown of the situation. Everything falls through on our end, and SK signs, we’d be getting a 3rd round pick next year from Nash. Not shabby, considering. If he flies to KHL and we sign Boyd for a 3rd round pick. Not horrible either.

I can’t imagine Eliis being a bargaining tool for Price negotiations, or Ellis fetching too much going UFA with the amount of good-to-great goaltending on the block right now. Affording both Price and Ellis (Ellis, you’re not getting a starting job anywhere so relax) give us a decent tandem, Eller and Boyd some size up the middle, sign both Max’s and I think we’re good to go. Gunna miss Moore, but it doesn’t look like he’s in the plans. Very excited to see how this shakes out. 2010-11 can’t start soon enough!!!!

Everyone keeps saying there’s a bunch of lineup spots to fill, but I don’t see it guys. We need to sign two goalies, Lapierre and Boyd. That gives us 13 forwards, 7 defensemen and 2 goalies in Montreal. The other roster spots will likely be fill ins like last season, call ups from Hamilton or additions throughout the season.

We’re at 12 forwards with Lapierre and Boyd signed, I suspect Ryan White will be our 13th man and make the team out of camp. Still leaves MTL with one roster spot to fill, which means either an 8th defencemen signed or a 14th forward, likely not Metro/Moore based on cap issues, I wonder if Andreas Engqvist will be hopping a plane though.

Ya that would be great??? Then Price would be worthless and we would have a mediocre at best #1. What is your beef with Carey? He actually played well last year when we couldn’t score goals. I truly believe he had a bad attitude that he worked hard to fix last year, and his sense of entitlement is now gone. (see the fact that he called out sergei) The players will see this and actually play in front of him this year. Finally, Price turns into what EVERYONE thought he would be!

i have to say when Gauthier first took over i didnt even know who he was and just thought it was terrible but i’ve been impressed by his moves so far doing the unpopular thing of trading Halak, signing Pleks long term, picking up Moore for the playoffs who seemed to be well worth the 2nd round pick although now it doesn’t look like he will be resigned and now trading S Kostitsyn for 2 useful players so long as they can be signed keep it up PG

Could be nothing for nothing – could be a signing of a useful player in Boyd, could be Boyd and Ellis. With the contract situations, all we have here is Sergei off to a nothing market, possibly for nothing. So what can we say til there’s a signing? Nothing.

Here’s the mystery to me: is this a deal to “put the screws to Price” in their contract negotiations, more than really acquiring a goalie? Boyd will sign with the Habs, Ellis might just be a long shot “in case” Price is tough to sign.

Ok first of all, the Habs didn’t just own Nashville in this trade. I think it’s a good trade for both teams. Sergei has a lot of upside, and in a place like Nashville (if he stays), he can concentrate on hockey and learn what it takes to be a player in the NHL. He is a GREAT player, don’t underestimate his potential.

Habs got the RIGHTS to two UFAs because apparently Boyd did not receive a qualifying offer. It doesn’t mean we sign them. I like both guys. Ellis can be a good mentor for Price who definitely needs one. And Boyd seems solid. I hope we can sign them.

My concern is where does this leave us at center. We have Gomez, plecky, Eller, Pyatt, Lapierre, and possibly Boyd. Obviously this means Moore is out which sucks because he was a great clutch player, and most important of all, he speaks french!

We need to be able to give the young guys enough ice time to develop. Eller has the potential to be a second line center, and the Habs should do their best to see to it that he does. Playing him on the fourth line for 2 minutes a game won’t cut it.

He was restricted heading into the off-season, but was not tendered by the deadline yesterday and therefore became an unrestricted free agent as of July 1. See the sidebar on this page at the Nashville web site.

Nothing “made-up” about Price’s suckitude the past two years and the playoff before. I guess facts can be ignored if you’re a Price Boy. And – I am not happy with AK46. I see tremendous possibility there – size, skating ability, shot, hitting – but he seems to be puzzled out there. Too bad, because he just looks like he could bust out. If we can get something good for him, fine – but trade him West just in case. It’s Price I’m not sold on – but I would love for him to prove otherwise. Too bad we may not have room for Moore – he played the same whether it was the regular season or Game 7.

See below. I was willing to give AK46 the benefit of the doubt coming off injuries, but he just looks lost out there. What a tantalizing player, though – size, shot, skating – and he can hit. If he doesn’t shake out the cobwebs, I’m fine with a trade – maybe to the West in case he ever takes off.

Although it is nice to see an interview of a hockey guy who has something else on his mind other than hockey. A real story about a real guy who made a decision that changed his life around. It was a good listen for me!

I’m just saying because on tsn.ca, the video of the breaking news has McKenzie saying he is still RFA and that status is also similar on capgeek.com even after they listed Boyd and Ellis on our rosters.

Turn down the volume of your negativity please and raise the volume of your positivity. Criticism is needed in life but sandwiching them between positive statements makes them more palatable if not more valid.

I once learned a very valuable lesson and I will pass it onto you, if you’re going to come up with a complaint at least ensure that 50% of what you’re bringing is a solution.

Still not conviced. He deked only 1 guy on each goal. My lasting memory of him is still when he wouldn’ t go into the corner and battle for the puck because he didn’t want to take a hit. I am glad he is now Nashville’s problem. I would love to see Sergei’s reaction if the Pred’s sent him down to the minors after training camp.

you’re nice and tough with your sarcasm! bashing on sergei not going to the corners, but you might not either. leave the kid alone, you don’t see datsyuk going to corners either and he’s a perfectly good hockey player.

I wasn’t being sarcastic, you must be tough to write something like that.

It is totally irrelevant whether or not I would go in the corner, I am not being paid three quarters of a million dollars to compete in the NHL and do whatever it takes to win as I owe that to the fans who pay my salary and to my teammates who are counting on me as hockey is the ultimate team game.

Bugs’ memory of Sergei might be his goals, I am just saying my memory of him is him obviously not going into the corner and working to get the puck and help the team. You might have another memory of Sergei and that is fine. Maybe your memory of him is something you guys did off the ice together as you seem alittle sensitive to my critisism of him.

I doubt it. He hasn’t proven a thing. Just because he can play against a bunch of 17 year old kids in the OHL (on a line with Kane and Gagner who probably helped him get most of his points) doesn’t mean a thing. He hasn’t proved he can play against men in the NHL and his attitude and work ethic suck. He will die out in Nashville and still blame everyone but himself for it.

That is if Pacioretty makes the team out of camp, he was mostly injured for his time in the AHL this season and I think he would benefit from time in the AHL to start next year, he came up too early to begin with.

In all likelihood he’ll make the team. From what most people close to the team say, Pacioretty is very well thought of by the Habs brass. Either way, between him and White we have a 13th forward or Darche is the 13th forward. We don’t need to be worrying about cap space.

Find out I suppose, but if that is the case I’d rather White and Pacioretty were 12th and 13th rather than Darche, I know he’s a good guy and all but those two are a decade younger and both NHL-capable.

Yeah, but would you want either of White or Pacioretty wasting time sitting in the press box? The way I see it, Darche is an injury fill in and there to put pressure on the rest of the bottom 6 players if their play falters. You don’t want a prospect in that position, you want a vet.

Hiring Elllis is just Montreal’s way of trying to help Price’s esteem . He has to be better than this guy (everyone hopes) ……hahahaha It would be hilarious if he shows Price up for the sieve he really is.

Price’s days are done, in Montreal the first losing streak,which should start in October,& Habs will stick by their man until they are almost surely racing for a possible playoff spot again…..

I hope another ‘backup’ rises to the occasion to warrant getting rid of Price for good, to bad they (the HAbs) don’t have the balls to pull a good trade Now & at least get something for this overated cry-baby…..lol

Yup, any RFA who does not receive a qualifying offer (and if the team does not elect to go for salary arbitration) becomes a UFA. In addition, qualifying offers expire on July 15th, at 5:00 pm New York time. Teams can apply for an extension to the deadline, however.

Smart move by Gauthier. For those wondering why we got so much for Sergei it’s because Boyd is an RFA and Ellis is a UFA that is likely to test the market. Basicly the habs were just dumping Serge which dfinetly needed to be done. A change of scene is definetly what he needed and if he fixes his attitude, he could do some great things in Tennessee, good luck to him

HMM. So if we sign Ellis, Preds get more -i.e pick. We don’t sign him then me thinks we get a pick. What puzzles me is that Ellis may actually warrant more than Price. Either way it’s better than the bag of pucks we all thought we would get for the ar-sehole.

So once SK settles in Nashville, I wonder what the first thought will be running through his head as he realizes he screwed himself in the MOST european city in North America, and is SMACK in the middle of The Bible Belt, home of the grand olde opry and Country Music… I can see euro-mullit enjoying all the euro-clubs they have there…

I dont think SK is the PATIENT type. However, inst it a one year deal and then he can try to go wherever he wants next year? He can play his ass off this season and try for a city that suits him better, and half way into this season if he wants he can skip to the KHL like the whiney little bitch he is.

If we sign either Boyd or Ellis the Habs win the trade hands down in my opinion.

Sergei was never going to be a good player here, he might go to Nashville and realize that he’s a hockey player and be a great player but it wasn’t gonna happen in Montreal. I’ve been saying it all along, Sergei needed to be in the top 6 or get traded. I just wonder what big bro thinks of this.

So if the Habs sign either: we get a decent back-up goalie that can play 20-30 games behind Pricey or a solid young fourth line center that’s bigger than Metro or both.

getting rid of a cancer for 2 players..one to back up price and one to take moores/metro spot..smells like salary cap fever. nevertheless both these players could be very good fines for the Habs…good move by PG as i thought we would get nothing more than a bag of pucks for SK.

I’m actually optimistic about getting Ellis to sign. He seems like a really nice guy.

“I’m looking at complement-type positions,” he said. and he also said that he hopes to get something done on his twitter. I think it would be fine. Only problem would be that if he gets around 2 million, then Price would need to get at least like 2.75ish. But I’m PG can sort that out.

I’m happy the habs picked tinordi in draft a big player like that is really needed on this team did i’m not too informed about the other players. However with 8 million in cap space the canadiens could afford a couple of really good veteran players or atleast one good star the habs could sign bill guerin for one year then maybe have a chance at a better free agent next year, we can even get chris higgins back.I hope moore stays he really helped the team.

2 goalies and 4-6 more forwards to be counted on the cap still. That is if you go full roster. I think the habs went with 20 skaters for the most part of last year (only one guy as a healthy scratch). Keep in mind most teams that spend to the cap will always try to leave a little bit of space since a trade can push you over the limit, say if we trade one player for another with a higher cap hit.

I’m still out to lunch… on Gauthier. This guy has made some tough decisions and some that absolutely had to be made. If anything at all, this is probably the smartest safe move he could have made, he tendered Sergei an offer and then traded him, we have Ellis for all of a few days before he hits free agency, I’m sure he will listen to an offer from Gauthier though and if im not mistaken can make a qualifying offer on Boyd.

I found the Plekanec and Pouliot signings to be on the side of too expensive, but the speculation abuot Plek’s market value and Pouliot’s arbitration might have favored that slightly too expensive price tag.

If Moore cannot be signed, and given our sudden “depth” at center, it is appearing not likely, Then the trade for him is a bust, even if he was slightly clutch this year.

Last but not least is the Halak trade which time will only tell. If I were the blues I would try to stall, if that is at all possible, the arbitration hearings so that the plethora of goalies that are heading into free agency have signed for much less then what … god I forget the name of that goalie that signed in Dallas… then all of a sudden his value isn’t as high as the trade might have warranted. Even if the Blues manage to sign him for a more diminished value, I still think that Halak might not be as clutch as some of us think. Then again Eller and Shcultz might not pan out either. As I said, time will tell.

The trade for Moore–a 2nd rounder in 2011–is and was a no-lose deal for us. Because we never signed David Fischer–a wasted 1st round pick who never developed–we’ll get a compensatory 2nd rounder in 2011 as a result; likely in the 50th or so slot. It’s the rules. So we still have a 2nd rounder, and Moore did well for us in the playoffs, mostly.

I agree that the clock is ticking on Goatier–my personal spelling since the Halak trade. While he is in a corner somewhat with all of his inherited Gainey long term signings and the Gomez atrocity-of-a-contract, and thus had to make the tough decision to trade Halak–the more expensive option in net over Price due to his success–he still needed to do a whole lot better. Lars Eller has never scored more than 18 goals at any level that counts, and Schultz is projected as a 2nd/3rd liner. We really needed to get a lot more than 2 <strong><em>CAN-MISS</em></strong> prospects for an up and coming star netminder.

Still, if Gainey had had his way, we would have dealt him for even less late last year, missed the playoffs, and be talking about who we’re going to sign on July 1 to address our net woes. Had any of the 29 other GMs been smart enough to offer BG even the 2nd rounder that he got for Huet–another lost deal for us; thanks for nothing BG–I’m certain we as fans would be even more bitter.

I was also disappointed at our 1st round selection, nothing against Tinordi. Even with Eller and Schultz, our organizational need was big forwards, not on ‘d’. The past two rookie camps saw a ratio of 16 – 8 in favour of defencemen, hardly a sound ratio considering a team dresses 12-13 forwards, 6-7 d, and 2 goalies as a 23 man roster. While there is some talent on the farm, I’m not sold on MaxPac, and he’s the largest guy we had prior to the Halak deal. MacMillan? At 6′ and 150, he’s a long way off, look how long it took Ribiero to flesh out and meet his potential.

One of the happiest days of my life nowing little Sergei is gone from this team. Bah Bye!

Nashiville will have headaches dealing with this guy. I guess he’ll have to like Country Music down there, that is, if little Sergei makes the team or goes back to Belarus and try to sign with a team in the KHL.

What’s great about this trade is that PG appears to have identified a goalie he wants, who also appears to be pretty happy about the situation. He must know he’s coming into a back-up/mentor role, and seems to have no issue with that whatsoever. Also, I’m glad to see Sergei gone, but still scared of seeing him become great.

I think this is a particularly bad time to make that judgement. The fans are bored, and the comments have been a little snarky of late (and I’m not thinking of anyone in particular; stand down). I chock that up to the withdrawal of post season menopause.

Chris should take a break, come back when he has something to say, when the mood changes.

I for one have never received unpleasant emails from fellow HIO posters, so perhaps think about what your posting, and not being so provocative? Write challenging hockey-talk? Sure. Just don’t make it personal.

I don’t know, from what I read from Chris he was always a perfect gentleman.

Interesting take on this trade by everyone here, all points being equal & all that BS…….I think it’s great just to get rid of this BUM……..he’s a typical import with all the old credentials of ‘how great he might be’ but really has a prima donna attitude & didn’t do much ever….Good Riddance.

As far as signing these guys , I don’t see much of a problem, they want to play in the NHL and they know they better be flexible ,because noone will ever remember their names if they don’t sign here for affordable bucks…….Montreal Canadiens will be around a lot longer than ‘what’s their name’

To be honest, I’d still be happy with this trade if neither of them ever play for the Habs. Just to be rid of Sergei is good enough for me. He might do well elsewhere, but he definitely was never going to do anything for us. And the impact on AK46 alone might be worth having got rid of SK